Colorado Springs cardiologist Dr. Deborah Jalowiec spoke about high blood pressure at the Julie Penrose Health Education and Research Center on the Penrose-St. Francis campus Feb. 11.Jalowiec’s presentation was part of Med School 101, a community health lecture series on cardiovascular disease held each Thursday through March 25 at the research center. Topics in March include cardiac nutrition, cardiac surgery and congenital heart disease. A one-time $10 donation is requested.”As we age, blood pressure goes up,” Jalowiec said, adding that people over the age of 25 have a 95 percent risk of developing high blood pressure in their lifetime.One out of three Americans has high blood pressure, with African Americans at greater risk for high blood pressure, she said.Risk factors for developing high blood pressure include smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, family history of high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic kidney disease, Jalowiec said.In 2007, 72 million Americans had high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, and $66.4 billion dollars was spent annually to treat it.Under the age of 45, high blood pressure tends to occur more often in men. Between 45 and 54, high blood pressure is evenly balanced between the genders, but over 55, more women than men have high blood pressure, she said.Blood pressure readings are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and usually given as two numbers. For example, 120 over 80 (written as 120/80 mmHg).Jalowiec said the top number, known as systolic pressure, is the measure of pressure when the heart constricts, and the bottom number, known as diastolic pressure, is the measure of pressure when the heart is at rest.Currently, 120 over 80 is normal blood pressure. However, Jalowiec said she expects 115 over 75 to become the new normal this year.She’s encountered many patients who assume their bodies somehow adapt to high blood pressure. “The body does not get used to high blood pressure. It’s not OK to accept any increase in blood pressure,” Jalowiec said.High blood pressure damages organs and is a risk factor for coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral artery disease and congestive heart failure.A person with a reading of 135 over 85 has two times the risk of dying of a stroke or heart attack, and a person with a reading of 175 over 105 has eight times the risk, Jalowiec said.Just a small improvement in blood pressure helps.Decreasing the systolic reading from 140 to 138 provides a 10 percent reduction of having a stroke, she said.Lifestyle changes are the first defense against high blood pressure.Jalowiec recommended decreasing alcohol consumption, getting 30 minutes of aerobic activity at least five days a week and eating less salt, sugar and red meat.She identified several contributing factors for high blood pressure, including untreated sleep apnea, getting less than seven hours of sleep a night, unmanaged stress, drinking more than five or six cups of caffeinated coffee a day and regularly taking medications such as Aleve, Advil, Celebrex and Motrin.Living at high altitude does not contribute to system high blood pressure, but high altitude can affect blood pressure in the lungs, which is called pulmonary hypertension, Jalowiec said.If lifestyle changes don’t sufficiently reduce high blood pressure, medications are the next step.”Most patients require two to three medications to bring (high blood pressure) under control, so don’t be discouraged when your doctor prescribes another medication,” Jalowiec said.Only 60 percent of Americans who have high blood pressure were actually receiving treatment in 2000, and many do not have it under control, possibly because they are trying to save money by cutting pills in half, she said.Instead of cutting pills, patients should seek a lower-cost medication and take it at the required dose.Although there are some people with high blood pressure that doesn’t vary much throughout the day; for most people, blood pressure rises during the day and starts going down at about 5 p.m., Jalowiec said.For that reason, she recommended taking blood pressure medication in the morning and testing blood pressure at various times during the day.”Log the day and time of your readings and take them to your doctor,” Jalowiec said.Some wrist blood pressure monitors are OK, but finger blood pressure monitors are not worth the money, she said. The accuracy of home blood pressure monitors should be verified at least every two years, she added. “Take your home monitor with you on a doctor visit, have readings taken with your monitor and the doctor’s monitor and compare the results.”
